Roller arrangement for drafting systems of spinning machines



H. L. P. UDE

Feb., 12, 1957 ROLLER ARRANGEMENT FOR DRAFTING SYSTEMS OF' SPINNINGMACHINES Filed Jan. 19, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fell 12, 1957 i H. L. P.UDE 2,780,840

ROLLER ARRANGEMENT FOR DRAFTING SYSTEMS OF SPINNING MACHINES Filed Jan.19, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ROLLER ARRANGEMEN T FOR DRAFTING SYSTEMS OFSPINNENG MACHINES Haus L. P. Ude, Kaiserslautern, Germany, assignor toSchiess Aktiengesellschaft, Dusseldorf-berlrassel, Germany, a firmApplication January 19, 1953, Serial No. 331,955

Claims priority, application Germany January 24, 1952 15 Claims. (Cl.19-131) The present invention relates to spinning machines and, moreparticularly, to roller arrangements for drafting systems of spinningmachines, especially speed frames and spinning frames.

With drafting systems, the fiber material is grasped by guiding andretaining members which move in the direction of movement of the sliverand are located between feed rollers and delivery rollers. The saidsliver is pulled out from said guiding and retaining members by thefront delivery roller. The said guiding and retaining members have thepurpose of preventing accidental movement of the bers, particularlythose fibers which are neither grasped by the feeding nor the deliveryrollers, because such accidental movements affect the uniformity of theliber material during the drafting operation.

With all drafting systems it is desirable first of all to maintain thedistance between the last guiding element in the drafting eld and thenip of the delivery rollers as small as possible in order to control theshort fibers and to prevent them from floating The reduction of saiddistance, however, geometrically depends on the size of the surfaces ofthe elements involved so that certain limits prevail with regard tostructural requirements which latter are due particularly to static anddynamic stresses of the elements involved. It has been attempted byvarious structural arrangements to circumvent those limits. However,such efforts have had no results of practical value.

It is an object of the invention to provide an arrangement for use inconnection with spinning machines, especially drafting systems, whichwill make it possible to reduce the distance between the draftingguiding members to a minimum, to thereby materially increase theuniformity of the thread.

It is another object to provide a roller unit, especially for use inconnection with spinning machines, especially drafting systems, whichcan easily be designed and installed and will materially increase theuniformity of the sliver, roving, or the like.

Still another object of the invention consists in the provision of aroller assembly, particularly for use in connection with spinningmachines, especially drafting systems, which, while allowing theemployment of return rollers for the drafting apron or aprons adjacentthe delivery roller, will materially reduce the distance between theclamping line of such apron or aprons and the clamping line between thedelivering rollers.

These and other obiects and advantages of the invention will appear moreclearly from the following specication in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l illustrates a two apron drafting system of the heretoforecustomary type.

Figure 2 diagrammatically illustrates a rst embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2a is a longitudinal section through the arrangement of Figure 2.

Ptent Figure 3 represents another embodiment of the invention andillustrates the same in longitudinal section.

Figure 4 is across section through the arrangement of Figure 3.

Figure S is a perspective view of still another arrangement according tothe invention.

Figure 6 represents a perspective view of a still further embodiment ofthe invention.

Figure 7 illustrates a front view of an arrangement according to theinvention showing how it is journalled in the machine.

Figure 8 is a front View of an arrangement according to the inventionand shows the same as an independent unit.

Figure 9 represents a side view of an arrangement according to theinvention as used in connection with the front delivery roller of adrafting system.

Figure 10 shows the invention as used in connection with the frontpressure roller of a drafting system.

Figure l1 illustrates an embodiment of the invention somewhat modifiedover the arrangement shown in Figure l0.

Figure 12 illustrates a drafting system in which the delivery as well asthe conveying elements are designed according to the present invention.

Figure 13 diagrammatically illustrates a side view of a specificembodiment of the invention using the principle of Figure l2.

The invention is characterized primarily by the combination of at leasttwo rollers which contact each other and of which one roller only,namely, the roller with the smaller diameter, grasps the liber material,whereas the other roller having a larger diameter serves as supportingelement for the first-mentioned roller of smaller diameter. With thisarrangement, the larger roller may simultaneously serve as drivingand/or clearer roller for the smaller roller.

With other embodiments of the invention more than two, and morespecifically, an odd number of rollers with decreasing diameter arearranged preferably one behind the other in one plane and have loopedaround them an endless belt in such a manner that only the rollers ofthe largest and smallest diameters are contacted by the belt. Theguiding and supporting rollers may be journalled in bearing parts commonthereto. Intermediate bearing parts may be maintained properly spacedfrom the lateral bearing means by tube-shaped roller elements. Thebearing means may be rigidly interconnected by bars or the like.

Roller units of the above-mentioned type may selectively be employed asfeeding members, delivery members, guiding members and/or pressuremembers. It is possible to journal at least two roller units oraggregates in the bearing means common to said two units or aggregates.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and Figure 1 thereof inparticular, the structure shown therein illustrates a heretofore commonarrangement and particularly clearly indicates the problem underlyingthe present invention. The arrangement shown in Figure 1 is a two aprondrafting system (Casablanca drafting systems). For the reasons outlinedabove, it is desirable to maintain as small as possible the distance abetween the line A along which the fiber strand F leaves the guidingelement, in this instance, the aprons R1 and R2, and the clamping line Bof the front delivery roller pair Z1 and Z2, because the shorter theIdistance a, the better will be the control of the fibers, especially ofthe shorter bers, and the less will be the proportion of the floatingbers.

The possibility of bringing the guiding elements R1 and R2 closer to thefront roller pair Z1 and Z2, i. e., to shorten the distance a, obviouslydepends geometrically ateos@ on the size of the circumferential surfacesof the bodies involved, i. e., practically on the four adjacent radii ofcurvature, namely: the radius r,L of the return for the lower apron; theradius r2 of the return for the upper apron; the radius r3 of thedelivery roller Z2; the ra-dius r4 of the pressure roller Z1.

It will, of course, be understood that witlra single apron or rollerdrafting system, the radii of the corresponding bottom and top rollersare to be substituted for r, and r2. The diiculty encountered whenattempting to reduce the radius r1 of the return for the lower apronconsistsprimarily in that the lower apron is usually driven and is thusunder mechanical stress. When employing a return roller journalled oneach side,.the return roller is also subjected to bending stress.Therefore, while discarding a rotating return roller, the apron has atthis point, as illustrated in Figure l, been looped around a stationaryreturn edge, as a result of which it was possible to reduce the outerradius of curvature of the leather to a few millimeters in the desiredsense. H owever, such an arrangement caused the drawback of having aslide friction return of the apron R1 around the sharply curved rigidedge. This is particularly undesirable since the lower apron is underdriving tension.

The radius of curvature r2 of the upper apron which usually passes inslack condition and forward bulging around a likewise stationary edgehas a magnitude of about four to live millimeters, a value which cannotbe Ina-de smaller even when using an upper pressureroller in a singleapron drawing frame.

With these expedients applied to the customary drafting systems, it waspossible for purely geometrical reasons to reduce the distance a at bestto about sixteen, mostly eighteen millimeters and more, as is shown inFigure l nearly to scale. This represents the optimum, even if the radiirc, and 11, of the front roller are dimensioned as small as illustratedin Figure l. It will be apparent that a further reduction in thedistance a is `possibleonly when at least one of the radii rs or r4 isreduced. The fact that such reduction has heretofore not been effectedin spite of the increase to be expected in the uniformity of the threadis due primarily to the following diiculties:

(l) The delivery cylinder Zz is driven and has to transfer forces whichact tangentially thereon over the entire length of the machine,Consequently the delivery cylinder Zz must have the required torsionalstrength and rigidity; in other words, it must have a sufficiently greatdiameter. Furthermore, no torsional vibrations of the delivery cylindermust occur. i

(2) Thedelivery cylinder Z2 is at each spinning point subjected tobending stresses by the positively loaded pressure roller Z1. Thedelivcryroller Z2, therefore, must have the required moment of inertiain order to prevent a bending through beyond a predetermined extent.

(3) The reduction in diameter of the delivery roller Z2 and of thepressure roller Z1 rolling on the delivery roller Z2 is limited in viewof the increasing lap danger which increases in Vproportion to thedecreasing diameter.

(4) A possible further reduction in diameter of the front roller Z1and/or Z2 must not affect the possibility of applying the requiredpositive clamping pressure between said two roilers which is necessarylfor the drafting operation proper. v

The problem outlined above has been solved according to the presentinvention in avery simple manner while avoiding the above-referred-todifliculties. rl`hefinvention is primarily based on the principle ofcombiningat, least two rollers to one supporting roller aggregatezorunit, one of said rollers having a smaller diameter grasping the-libermaterial whilerthe other roller having. a "larger diameter lserves. assupporting element for the first-nientioned roller. Suchra unitoraggregate replaces vthe, heretofore used individualrollersin thedrafting `system so thatrwhenever the new unit is vbeing used, theheretofore employed large diameter can be replaced by a materiallysmaller diameter.

Figures 2 and 2a illustrate the principle of the invention in its mostsimple embodiment. The delivery roller Z2 of Figure 1 has been replacedby the roller unit or aggregate 1, 2. As will be seen from Figure 2, theroller 1 has a smaller diameter than the roller 2 and has a considerablysmaller diameter than the heretofore employed delivery roller Z2. Theroller 1 having the smaller diameter grasps the liber material in asimilar manner as was -done heretofore by the delivery roller Z2,whereas the larger roller 2 serves as supporting andy driving roller forthe roller 1. The driving of the roller 1 by the roller 2 may beeffected by purely rolling friction, but, if desired, this may also beeffected Vby'providing the periphery of the rollers 1 and 2 Vwith aknurled surface or with teeth meshing with each other. The direction ofrotation of the roller 2 is naturally opposite to the direction ofrotation of the roller 1. Both rollers `are journalled, for instance, inbearing supports S common thereto which are prevented from rotating bymeans of abutments 5a, or the like.

As will be clear from Figure 2, by means of the roller units 1, 2, thedistance a between the clamping lines of the drafting elements R1 and R2on one hand, and Z1 and 1 on the other hand, can be considerably reducedover the heretofore customary distance a (Figure l).

Figure 2a furthermore indicates how the larger supporting roller 2 maysimulaneously serve as clearer roller, i. e., for removal of the lapfrom roller 1. The roller 2 is below the clamping point of the bermaterial provided with at grooves which are provided with clearingelements 2a as, for instance, stripping materialfor clearer rollers,brushes or card wire band. In this way, lap about to form on the roller1 will be taken olf after half a revolution of the roller 1. For thesame purpose, also roller 2 may be provided with or without a groove andmay consist of lap repelling material of any standard type. The tworoller unit shown in Figures 2 and 2a and illustrating the principle ofthe invention in connection with delivery cylinders may also be used aspressure means instead of the roller Z1, while cooperating with a singleroller Z2 or with a roller unit 1, 2. When using the roller unit aspressure means, the two lateral supports 5 of the unit are rigidlyinterconnected by means of a transverse bar.

In order to avoid the necessity of reversing the direction of movementof the driving roller 2, it is preferable to combine an odd number ofrollers of decreasing diameter to roller units as has been illustratedin the following figures. It is most advantageous to combine threerollers to one unit of which each larger roller supports the adjacentsmaller roller.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate such a three roller unit. The rollers 1, 2and 3 arranged in series in one plane have looped around a belt 4 whichmay be made of rubber, leather or other appropriate natural or syntheticmaterial. The smallest roller 1 is supported by the adjacent roller 2,whereas the latter is supported by the roller 3. ln its most simpleconstruction, the axes of the three rollers are located in one plane.The rollers l and 3 rotate in the same direction as the belt 4 loopedtherearound vwhereas the intermediate roller 2 rotatesA ina directionopposite to the direction of rotation of said belt 4, The diameters ofthe three rollers are so dimensioned that the roller 2 does not Contactthe belt surface. Such a supporting roller arrangement affords thepossibility of maintaining the radius of curvature r (Figure 4) small,which radius is influential in the dimensioning of the distance a, whilethe cross sections of the rollers may nevertheless be dimensioned inconformity. with the driving vrequirements and thev rigidity required inthis connection.` The belt 4 not only aids the drive 4of the rollers ofthe unit but also considerably reduces the lap dangerQ The rollers aremaintained relative to each `other by the end bearings 5. When rollersof relatively great length are being used, intermediate bearings 6 maybe employed which may be located inside the belt 4, i. e., are embracedby the latter (Figure 4), but, if desired, such intermediate bearings 6may also protrude between the belts 4- (Figure 6).

In order to be able, when installing the arrangement, to slip theintermediate bearing 6 upon the driving shaft 3, the bearing supportsmay either be divided or the shaft, as illustrated in Figure 5, may becomposed of tubular sections 3a.

When the end bearings 5 are rigidly mounted, for instance, on the rollerstands, the arrangement of intermediate bearings 6 will aid the entireaggregate against torsion. If desired, one or more portions or theentire length of the rollers 1 to 3 may be provided with teeth which,however, should be set back with regard to the belt supporting surfaceof the rollers so that the belt passing around the rollers 1 and 3 willnot be bulged out by the teeth.

In order to increasel the rigidity of the aggregate, the intermediateand the end bearings 6 and 5, respectively, may be rigidly connectedWith each other, for instance, by connecting rods. Such connection isindispensable with aggregates having only two end bearings 5, as isillustrated at 410 in Figures 3 and 4.

Supporting roller aggregates according to Figures 2 to 6 may formindependent units which may be handled as such and which can be built inas structural units into the drafting systems and so on in the samemanner as individual cylinders.

The units according to the present invention operate in the followingmanner:

The tension of the belt, if a belt is being employed, is taken up to anydesired extent by causing one roller to press against the other roller.In other words, the belt tension is taken up by the aggregate and thusdoes not cause any action toward the outside on any of the bearings.

A load P (Figure 4) which acts upon the roller 1 from the outside in thedirection of the arrow is taken up entirely with increasing angle a ofthe attack of the load to a decreasing degree by the next supportingroller 2 and depending on the journalling in these supports, also fromthe supporting roller 3.

t is principally possible to drive all three rollers. Generally, roller3 is driven because its diameter and thus the respective looping angleof the belt is greatest so that in this way the belt is best carriedalong.

Purely rolling friction prevails between the rollers 1, 2, 3 in view ofthe influence of the belt tension or outer forces, in the direction ofthe arrow P (Figure 4). Due to this rolling friction and the adhesivefriction of the looping belt, for instance, when roller 3 is driven, theother rollers are carried along even when under load.

Whether and to what extent friction in the bearings of the rollers ll,2, 3 will occur in the end and intermediate supports 5 and 6 (Figures 3to 6) which may also in part be provided with roller bearings, willdepend on the direction of the outer attacking force, i. e., on theangle a (Figure 4) and on the functions respectively to be performed bythe supporting bearing aggregate. When the force P attacks at an angleor equalling zero, this force is practically completely taken up by theadjacent supporting rollers. The bearing portions of the end andintermediate supports 5 and 6, respectively, are then subjected tomerely minor stresses which are produced by the arrangement of theindividual rollers relative to each other, if roller 3 as indicated inFigure 7 is journalled, for instance, in the roller bearings of themachine-roller stands l5. If on the other hand, such an aggregate isused for instance as a pressure roller, while the outer force P is asshown in Figure 8, conveyed to the aggregate through the connectingmember and end support 5, it will be clear that vthe force P will bepassed to clamping line B in part through the bearings of the rollers 3,2, and 1 and in part through the supporting rollers 3, 2, and 1. Thisbranching 0E or split in the power distribution, which can be furtherinfluenced for instance by the shaping of the bearing bores in thesupports 5, results in that first of all the smallest roller 1 issupported and secondly its bearing means in the end supports are lessstressed than would be the case if the roller 1 were journalled merelyin supports 5 without adjacent supporting rollers.

Such a supporting aggregate makes it possible to subject also rollers ofsmaller radius of curvature to positive clamping pressure withoutrisking any undue bending through and with the possibility to drive suchcylinders Without additional lap danger. The smooth outer' encirclingsurfaces ofthe aggregate oier good withdrawing possibilities. Thesesupporting roller units may be mounted at the various points in thedrafting systems of spinning machines and speed frames as shown forinstance in Figures 9 to l2, in order to reduce the passage distance andthus the floating fibers.

For purposes of comparison, about the same scale and, as far aspossible, the same dimensions as in Figure l have been employed. Theresulting decrease in the distance a in these gures in only of relative,not absolute, importance. For other drafting systems, therefore, otherabsolute values are obtained for a, i. e., the obtained reductions inthe distance a, depending on the geometric conditions.

Figure 9 illustrates a supporting roller aggregate used in a drawingframe as delivery roller. A comparision with Figure 1 will clearly showthe decrease in a.

Figure l0 shows a supporting roller aggregate as pressure roller on anormal delivery roller, in addition to the delivery roller also shaft 3,i. e., the entire pressure roller being driven. Also in this instance, adecrease in the passage a is obtained over the application of normalpressure roller Z1, according to Figure l.

When employing supporting roller aggregates as pressure rollers withdriven shaft, the possibility of removing the weight from the top rollerand the possibility of clearing the respective rollers during theoperation is of importance. Principally, two arrangements are possible.Figure l0 illustrates a pressure roller-supporting roller aggregateadapted to be detached during operation. The drive is effected throughthe continuous shaft la, each of several pressure rollers being driventhrough the intervention of a pair of gears 7, 8 or correspondingfriction rollers. By means of the hook-shaped support 9, it is possibleto support the pressure roller during operation above the shaft 1awhereby the meshing of the gears 7, 8 or the engagement of the frictionrollers will be assured. The loading is effected in the direction of thearrow P.

Figure ll illustrates a pressure roller arrangement with four rollers ofwhich the roller 3 extends over the entire length of the machine and isdriven, whereas the remaining rollers are caused to rotate by rollingfriction between the same and by adhesive friction with encircling belt4. The pressure roller in the supporting roller aggregate is adapted tobe tilted about the shaft 3 during operation. The loading is effected inthe direction of the arrow P. The load is, in this instance, conveyedthrough `the bearing pivots of roller 2 unto the rollers 2 and 1. Alsoin this instance, reduction in the distance a is obtained. Thesupporting roller and pressure rollers according to the invention may,however, also be applied without special drive therefor, in the mannerof customary pressure rollers. Rotation of such rollers is then effectedmerely by pressing the same against the lower roller.

Finally, Figure l2 illustrates the employment of four supporting rollerunits in one and the same drafting system, which results in aparticularly short distance a.

The rollers 3 and 3a and, if desired, also the rollers 3b and 3c aredriven. The replacement of the double apron R1, R2 with stationary,returning edges. according,

to `Figure lyields, according to theembodiment shown in Figure l2, thegreatadvantage that the belts are pulled around rotating rollers 1a and1b respectively driven by rolling friction and rollers 2a and 2b. Slipand wear due to sliding friction is thus avoided.

The supporting bearings 4of the two rollers aggregates shown in Figure12 may be combined to a single element 13 as illustrated in Figure 13 sothat these two supporting roller aggregates will be safely suspended asto the two strongest driven shafts 3 and 3a. If desired, the lower belt,as shown in Figure 12, may also whenusing a supporting roller aggregate,be vprovided witha tension Vroller 12.

The invention is not limited to the particular embodiments shown in thedrawing, butmay also be applied in connection with all types of draftingsystems of spinning machines, especially speed frames .and spinningframes. The arrangement according to the invention may also be builtinto machines using the heretofore customary roller arrangements, inorder to reduce the distance between the two drafting elements,especially where heretofore this was not possible due to constructivedifficulties concerning the roller diameters. The subdividing of a largediameter intr,` a plurality of smaller diameters supporting each otheris essentialin connection with the present invention. It is also to beunderstood that the present invention 1s not limited to the particularconstructions shown inthe accompanying drawings but also comprises anymodifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: I

1. In a drafting system of spinning machines: an upper delivery roller,a lower v-delivery roller arranged Afor cooperation with said upperdelivery roller so .as to forni a nip therewith for drafting fibermaterial and delivering drafted ber material to a bobbin, guiding meansclosely spaced from said delivery rollers and located on the approachside thereof for guiding ber material being drafted toward and betweensaid delivery rollers, .and at least a further roller drivingly engagingone of vsaid delivery rollers and preventing the` adjacent deliveryroller from bending toward said further roller, said further rolierbeing arranged positively to be driven, that delivery roller which isengaged by said further roller `in the form of a pin of a dia: eterconsiderably less than the diameter of said further roller.

2. in 'a drafting system of spinning machines: an upper delivery roller,a lower delivery roller in form'of .a pin arranged below and forcooperation `with said upper delivery roller so as to form a niptherewith for drafting fiber material and delivering drafted bermaterial to a bobbin, guiding means closely spaced from said deliveryrollers and located on the approach side thereof for guiding fibermaterial being drafted ltoward and between said delivery rollers, and atleast one supporting roller arranged below and drivingly engaging saidlower delivery roller, the diameter of the rollers below said ,upperdelivery roller increasing with each roller below said upper deliveryroller and in the direction away from said upper delivery roller.

3. A drafting system according to claim 2, in which the supportingVroller drivingly engaging said lower delivery relier is provided with aclearer cover for preventing accumulation of lap.

4. In a drafting system of spinning machines: a supporting rollerarranged for positive driving connection, a lower deiivery roller inform of a pin having a diameter considerabiy less than the diameter ofsaid supporting roller and having its peripheral portion arranged forfrictional engagement with the peripheral portion ofk said supportingroller, said supporting roller supporting said lower delivery roller, anupper delivery roller arranged adjacentto and above said lower deliveryroller for drafting ber material therebetween and delivering draftedbermaterial to a bobbin, upper and lower guiding members respectivelyarranged in closely spaced relationship `to the nip of said upper andlower delivery rollers for guiding material being drafted toward andbetween said upperand lower delivery rollers, and clearing cover meansmounted on said supporting roller and adapted totcounteract lapaccumulation on said lower delivery roller.

5. A roller arrangement according to claim 4, in which the clearingcover means are mounted in recessed portions of s-aid supporting roller.

6. Aroller arrangement according to claim 4, in which the peripheralportion of said supporting roller comprises ber repellent material.

7. In a drafting system of spinning machines: a supporting roller,alower delivery roller having a diameter considerablyless than thediameter of said supporting roller and having its peripheral portionarranged for engagement with the peripheral portion of said supportingroller, said supporting roller acting as support for said lower deliveryroller, an upper delivery roller arranged fo cooperation with said lowerdelivery roller so as t0 form a nip therewith for drafting fibermaterial between said lower delivery roller and said upper deliveryroller and for delivering drafted ber material to a bobbin, guidingmeans closely spaced from said delivery rollers andrlocated on theIapproach side thereof for guiding fiber material being drafted towardand between said Vdelivery rollers, and supporting means common to saidsupporting roller and said lower delivery roller for supporting thesame.

-8. `In combination in a drafting system for spinning machines yand thelike: upper delivery means, lower delivery means arranged forcooperation with said upper delivery'means' for 'drafting fiber materialand delivering drafted bcr material to a bobbin, one of said deliverymeans comprising at least one roller and the other vone of said deliverymeans including at least two superimposed rollers of different diametershaving their peripheral portions arranged for engagement with each otherso that the roller of smallest diameter of said superimposed rollers issupported byva roller of larger diameter while said roller of smallestdiameter is closer to the other delivery'rneans than said roller oflarger diameter, said roller of larger diameter supporting said rollerof smaller diameteragainst bending and guiding means, respectivelyarranged in closely spaced relationship to the nip of said upperv andlower delivery means for guiding fiber material being drafted towardsaid upper and lower delivery means and therebetween.

'9.` 'An arrangementaccording to claim 8, which inoludes endless beltmeans looped around an uneven number of superimposed rollers ofdifferent diameters.

10. An arrangement according to claim 8, in which at least on'eiofsaiddelivery means includes three superimposed rollers respectively andsuccessively increasing in' diameter in the'direction away from theother delivery means, each of said superimposed rollers having itsperipheral portion in engagement with the respective adjacent roller `ofsaid superimposed rollers, and in which an endless belt is loopedaround4 said three superimposed rollers, the arrangement being such thatonly the rollers of the largest and smallestdiameter of ythe saidsuperirn posed rollers are in 'engagement .with said belt.

ll. An arrangement according to claim l0, in which thesuperimposedrollers have their axes of rotation arranged in ya common plane.

' l2. An arrangement-according to claim 8, which includes first bearing'means spaced from each other and common tothepsiuperirnposed rollersfor supporting the same, intermediate bearing means spaced from saidfirst bearing, means `'for .additionally supporting said superimposedrollers, `and tubeshaped spacer means between said intermediate bearinglmeans and said first bearing means for maintaining said intermediatebearing means spaced from said rst bearing means.

13. An 'arrangement according to claimv 8, in which each of said lowerfand upper delivery means includes a roller unit comprising a pluralityof rollers successively increasing in diameter away from the otherroller unit, the rollers of smallest diameter of each roller unit beingclosest to each other, and a pair Iof endless belts respectively loopedaround said roller units `and forming a bite with each other.

14. An arrangement according to claim 13, which includes bearing meanscommon to at least two roller units for supporting the same.

15. An arrangement according to claim 8, in which each of said upper andlower delivery means includes three superimposed rollers of differentdiameters having an endless belt looped therearound, the arrangementbeing :such that the rollers of the delivery means are arranged adjacenteach other and that the belts respectively passing :around the same faceleach other only over that respective portion of the belts whichcontacts the respective roller of smallest diameter', and in which eachof the guiding means arranged in closely spaced relationship to the nipof said upper and lower delivery means includes a plurality of rollerssuccessively increasing in Adiameter in a direction away from saiddelivery means, the rollers 4oi said guiding means having their axesarranged in substantially the same plane a-nd having endless beltsrespectively looped therearound, the rollers of said guiding means beingarranged relative to each other so that the belts pertaining theretoface each other over -the distance extending from one point of contactthereof with the respective roller of largest diameter to one point `ofcontact of the same belt with the roller of smallest diameter of theysame guiding means.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 375,881Lain Jan. 3, 1888 1,654,940 Lucas Jan. 3, 1928 2,178,627 Devaux Nov. 7,1939

